Combined typewriting and computing machine



March 12, 1929. J. A. SMITH 1,705,073

colmn TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING uAcHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1925 fvg/.1. A130330 D. .Vl ZLEE l /f/ wif/f Il? 0550335010' 000000002v LIL. .A

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MMM y 676%@ Patented Mar. l2, 192.9.

UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE..

JESSE A. B. SIIYIITH,V OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 UNDERWOOD ELLIOTT AFISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE.

Application filed September 2G, 1925.

`This invention relates to combined typewriting and computing machines,and more particularly to means for facilitating the reading of one of two or more cooperating registers in the computing mechanism by the use of automatically controlled shutters for 'the registers.

Sometimes machines of the well-known Underwood-Hanson type, are equipped with a second register or totalizer having dials with reversed numerals and running in the same direction as the dials of the regular register, thus effecting a Well-known negative accumulation in this register. Since in such type vof machines the-two .totalizers are aligned end to end, and since the general ap pearance of the two totalizeis is the same, it is not easy to distinguish the regular com- I putations in one register from the overdraft .in the other, the 'operative being liable to read the amount from the wrong register.

The purpose of this class of machines is to show the correct reading of an overdraft instead of the complementary reading as it'would appear when a greater amount is p subtracted from al lesser amount, such as, for

instance, in handling bank accounts.

One of the features of this invention relates to means whereby the possibilty of the operative mista-king an overdrawn amount for'a positive quantity and thus wrongly writing the amount to clear the machine, is

' obviated by the simple expedient of covering the regular register when a negative amount appearsron the overdraft register, and, conversely, by keeping the overdraft register normally covered. y Y

Although the scope and the importance of this invention cannot be exaggerated, since it absolutely precludes the possibility of errors when copying from the registers. the means by which the invention is carried out is so simple lthat its reliability is assured. IncarryingV out 'the invention, there provided a shutter-plate.straddling a pair of registers and rotatably mounted upon the register-shaft. Said plate is common to both registers, butvis designed in a manner to afford the blinding of one of the registers While exposing the other. In" these -machinesthe dial of highest'denominationa v.positionin the regular register is,at Vall ftimes, at 0, position, except when an algebraio summation is effected in the regular register, in which case, for reasons well Serial No. 58,764.

known in the art, the digit-dial-wheel highest denominational oider will stop the 9 position. Advantage is tal-:en of this condition in the automatic operation of theshutter-plate; the plate being moved to cover the regular register when the last or highest denominational wheel passes from the 8 to the 9 position, and is again released if the wheel moves to the 0 position. It will be clear from the foregoing description that the regular register will be covered to permit the reading of the overdraft register only when the last oi highest denominational wheel is stopped in the 9 position, and that such position of said wheel is only obtained when a greater amount is subt acted from :i lesser amount, thereby running a negative amount into the overdraft register.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a front section of at of an Underwood combined typewriting and computing machine, showing a regular and anovei'di'aft register in front of the {eyboard.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, in elevation, of the regular register, showing the shutter in its normal position of closing the overdraft register or corresponding to Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but shows the shutter closed to the regular register, or corresponding to Figure 5, to permit the reading of an amount in the overdraft register.

Figure 1 is a plan View, showing both the regular register and the overdraft register, the formershowing a positive quantity cumulated therein.

Figure 5 is a plan view, showing a negative quant-ity in the overdraft register, the shutter being positioned to cover the regular register.

In the Underwood-Hanson typewriting and computing machine partly illustrated in Figure 1, there are provided two registers, or totalizers, the two being synchronized by mechanism, including pin-bars actuated by a `general operator as disclosed in the patent to F. A. Hart, dated October 15, 1918, No. 1,281,953. It will be obvious, how ve", as the specification is read, that any number of pairs of registers similarly synchronizedv could be provided iii-a ina chine, or that a. pair of such registers could be co-ordinated with other registers, not necregister. c

As shown in the present invention, there are provided two registers, one indicated by theletter R representing the regular register into which amounts are accumulated and subtracted in the regular manner, and

another register indicated by thek letters OD into which the oyerdi'afts or negative quantities are accumulated.- Since the Vtwo registers are controlled by the same setting of the 4pin-bars in the machine, it will be apparent that in order'to add negativevr quantities in the"OD register, the dialdigits i thereof have to be reversed,

Normally, fthe two registers `are a O position, as shown in Figure` 1and` only' the regular register is visibleto they operative Vthrough anopening 10the. other register being covered by a shutter 11. Said shutter extends substantially the -full width of lthe two counters, so as to straddle both, andis provided with vears 12 at the ends, rotatably Ysupportingthe shutter upon a register-shaftY 13. Since the two registers are, moiuited on the saine shaft and the openingsthrough which theregisters are renderedvisible a-re in the saine line, itv will be4 apparent-.that

the shutter mustbe offset to simultaneously expose one of the registers while covering theother. Y As shown in Figurel, the OD rregister-is provided with an opening 14 to render the register visible, but cannotbe read. because of the shutter Vclosing the I opening,V

' *ber fiom=alesser number in the reviste: af :c i n f' D' 7 series of 9s vappearv on all the dials of Uponaccumulating the numeral 4 in the register. Rl the saine nun'ibery willvap pear through the opening 10 in the dia'i of ,lower denominational order, but,v since the associ-ated register OD is run in the saine V'direction,and, since the numbers, on the face of thefdial are reversed, a complementary number plus one will appearrthrough the opening 14, although the nuinber will be.

inyisible'to the operative, because of,vv the shutter 11 being at this time,v` in front, of

the dial. lf there wereno shutterr the; oo-Q erative would be, liable te erroneously take the 6 and the preceding97sY appearing in the ODY register as apositive quantity,

a condition which is eliminated because of,

the. automatic opera tion offthe shutter.

Referring tofFi'gure 5, in which the regis-v ters are` shown at the end of afcomputation representingthe subtraction of 67 frointhe register BP having4 accumulated therein, it will .be noted that, for reasons wellV known in theiart,wlien subtracting agreater numhfigher denominational order, and, consequently, it would be confusing to have these VFQf'dials :in View, whenr reading theV overdraft register OD, in which, because of the mechanism provided in the` machine, the

figure 2,? preeededbya 0.s,"V will; appear representing ythe trueA algebraic summation Since vtneprincipleof operation of this invention may be understood by analysis and by reference to the foregoing description, it will be well to now pass onto tliedescrip-y tion of the mechanical.'elements required to carry out the invention. Adria-tage is hereintalien ofthe fact that, when adding,

vor whenfsub'tracting a lesser from a greater amount, the highest;denominationally posii tli'onedl dial-wheel 15k of'l the it register always eoinesto rest atfO' position, whereas, when an'algebraic summation is performed, that is to say, when a greater amount vis taken.` from a lesser amount registered lin R, said dial-ivheell always comes to rest atff9,

as showniinfFigui-es o and 3'. y Y

Y This' beinga fact in the Underwood-inachine, -itY is only necessary lto provide the shutter with a spring-detent fingerltS, fastV thereto bymeans of rivets l'and Eengageable with lperipheral lug or tooth 18 on the dialwheell. Said tootlr engages an offset portio-m19V ofthe dete'nt-tinger piece 16S upoir i reaching-the .S position` of the wheell, and, Vbecause of' the contact ybetweenfthe detent 16j and thetooth, the shut-ter is carried,.with the wheel, tothe 9l position, as`

exposel the registerl R However, ifl a fresh negative amount is added to the regular register, 1 the wheel 15 will again be stopped lat the 9l position, thereby/ opening the shutter for overdraftreadi'ng.

One side plat-e or rear 12 of the shutter havii'igl two prongs ".21, engageab'lefwith a stop-pin 22 fast tojthe side plate'23"of"the register; the pin 22 limiting the travel ofj the shutter, which :is heldin its normalposition, as shown in Figure-2, by means ofthe spring 20 .securedgto a stud24, fastto 'said 'permittingaspring 20 to retract, thereby normalizing4 the position ofthe shutter to,

`lljis provided with a; bi-forlied extension plate 23, andto a stud 25', fast to the shutter. v

Sometimes it may accidentally happenV that the total amount accumulated in the VRl'regi'ster will carry over the lwheel 15v 'i1-p vto the 9 position thereof, andin 'such cases the operation of the! shutterV would,

ofcourse, be incorrect,"since'it/would shiftl the shutter to overdraft reading 'Whenthe correct amount should'be read on the regular register. To avoid such vinaccurate timing of the shutter, it is proposed to assemble the register R, With a blanl; dial, or one more dial than is necessary for a given computing capacity oi the register, thereby eliminating the possibility of such a condition happening in normal operation, because then, at no time, `would the accumulated amounts reach the 9 position of the Wheel 15.

It will be understood that the two registers are in alignment in being assembled upon the same shaft and actuated simultaneously by duplicate denominational digit-selecting devices similar .to those shown by the patent to Norin, dated August 17, 1920, No. 1,350,173; that in the Underwood-Hanson machine when incesing for subtraction all the 9 pins are set, and later when the digits are indexed on the dial-driving rack-bars, the 9 pins on each bar are restored to normal positions, and upon actuation of the general operator, the successive digit-Wheels oit' the higher denominations, in which no digits have been set up, will be given complete revolutions of nine steps plus a single step, due to the carry-over mechanismv fully described in the patent to Gumprecht, dated November 19, 1918,` No. 1,285,134; that the denominational racks associated With'the rotation ot the blank or dummy digit-Wheel 15 may be provided with a single index-pin corresponding` to the 9 pins of the other rackbars and sett-able with these 9 pins when subtraction is effected; and that each time the general operator is actuated with a subtraction-setting for a positive registry in the register R the wheel 15'ivill be given a complete revolution, and while the lug 18 thereon will engage the finger 16 and carry the shutter under the opening 10.y said lug will ridel under the linger 16 and release the closed shutter to the action of the spring 20 that restores said shutter to register-reading position; that when a negative result is registered, the Wheel 15 will lack one step of a complete revolution and .the normal arrested positionfor the shutter will be under the opening 10 to shut oit the reading of theregister R, and that the registers are provided With a shutter that is longitudinally.co-operative with both registers R and OD through offset shutter-sections,y Which, through their relative displacement, simultaneously and automatically expose the reading of one register oi one register having its digits running in reverse direction from trat of the other register and the dial of highest denomination or" one register having an obstruct-ion thereon, said machine also having a shutter movable to cover said one register by the movement or" said highest denomination dial to 9 posit-ion; the combination oi yieldable means operable by said obstruction to close vsaid shutter, said yieldable means permitting said dial to pass through the 9 position independently of the shutter, means 'for arresting the shutter in its closed position and a spring for returning the shutter When released from said obstruction, said shutter being constructed and operative to cover the registers in alternation.

2. In a combination typeWriting and computing' machine having a plurality of axially alined registers on which subtraction may be performed by adding the complement of the subtrahend, the dials moving in the same direction tor both addition and subtraction but the dials or" one register having its digits running in reversed direction from that oi the other register and the dial of highest denomination ot one register having an obstruction thereon, said machine also having a shutter associated With both registers and movable to cover said one register by the lmovement of said highest denomination dial to 9 position; the combination of yieldable means operable by said obstruction to close said shutter said yieldable means permitting said dial to pass through theV 9 position independently of the shutter, means for arresting the shutter in its closed position and aV spring for returning the shutter when released from said obstruction, said shutter being laterally ott set at its center and operative to cover the registers in alternation.

JESSE A. B. SMITH.

comments on oonnnctton.

mem N0. 1,705,073. @famed March 12, 1h29, to

JESSE A. B. SMITH.

It is hereby certified that the above numbered patent Was orroneousiy issued to "Underwood Elliott Fisher Company", whereas said patent should have been issued to "Elliott-Fisher Company, of New York, N. Y., a Corporation of Dolaware", as assignee of the entiic interest in said invention, as shown by the iecords of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with this correction therein that the saine may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day ot April7 A. D. 1929.

M. 5. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patentse CERTFGATE @E CRREC'HN.

Patent No. i,7l5,073. Granted March 12, 1929, to

JESSE A. B. Slvii'iii.

it is hereby certified that the above numbered patent was erroneously issued te "Underwood Elliott Fisher Company", Whereas said patent should have been issued to "Elliott-Fisher Company, of New York, N. Y., a Corporation of Delaware", as assignee of the entire interest in said invention, as shown by the records oi assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this eorreetion therein that tine saine may conform to the record oi the case in the Patent iiice. Signed and sealed this 16th day oi April, A. D. 1929.

' M. l. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents, 

